THE GERMAN MILITARY IS AT ITS LOWEST EBB IN 2020 SINCE THE DISASTROUS WORLD WAR 2. HERE'S HOW.
The World War 2 lead to division of Deutschland (Germany) between Soviet Russia & the Western bloc lead by USA. Obviously, development of German Military was the least of their concerns. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1991, the German Government has also paid minimal heed to defense expenditure.
The WW2 was followed by the Cold War. This resulted in a military alliance between America and like minded western democracies called NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) whose main motive was to quell the spread of communism. If one NATO member was attacked, it meant war against all NATO members. This dissuaded USSR to attack weaker NATO members like Sweden.
NATO Members
Now you must be wondering how was German military affected by all this?
Till 1991, the Allies & the Russians made no efforts to modernize the local German Army. So the German armed forces in 1991 were ill trained, ill equipped & unorganised. The formation of NATO also gave a unified Germany assurance over its defense. Hence there were no external factors which persuaded Germany to enhance military expenditure.
Germany has emerged as a pivotal nation in the EU with Angela Merkel predominating the proceedings in Brussels and acting as a cohesive force for the European Union.
Another reason is close defense co-operation with the United States. There are more than 40,000 American troops stationed in Germany. This is because it houses the NATO Training Centre & Germany has served as a launchpad for US incursions in Asia. The presence of US troops have given a sense of security to the policy makers in Berlin. This might have been a reason for negligible focus on the military.
The Trump Administration has decided to recall around 12000 US troops on the basis that Germany has not spent on the military enough which is true to a certain extent. However the exodus of this troops will have a detrimental impact on the local economy depending on them.
A military's strength can also be gauged by how action ready it is. The Report below indicates Germany's poor performance in this regard.
The actual amount of expenditure on defense is staggeringly low for a nation with the economic nous & strategic location like Germany. Spending on military is essential to upgrade existing weapons, procure new ones, enhance combat capabilities and also improve defense in case of foreign aggression. In comparison to other NATO members & regional powers, its spending is really low.
The economic progress, social cohesion, sporting success and democratic values attained by Germany should rightly receive appreciation. But I think it should also focus on its glaring weakness & improve its military.
RIGHT THATS ME DONE FOR THE DAY.
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